Some exhibitions arrive with years of planning behind them. Others feel a little more personal.

At the launch of Arthur Boyd: Tapestries, National Gallery Director Nick Mitzevich described the exhibition as a passion project for the National Gallery; a phrase that made sense the moment you stepped into the gallery.

For the first time, all 20 tapestries from Boyd’s Life of St Francis series have been brought together in a single exhibition. Although the works entered the National Gallery’s collection in 1975, most people have never had the chance to see the complete cycle in one place. That alone makes this winter exhibition something special.

The tapestries are enormous. Reproduced from Boyd’s original works at more than twenty times their original size, each piece occupies its own space while contributing to a larger story. Viewed together, they feel less like individual artworks and more like chapters in a visual narrative unfolding across the gallery walls.

What makes the exhibition particularly engaging is that it doesn’t stop at the finished works. Drawings, lithographs and preparatory pieces sit alongside the tapestries, allowing visitors to follow the journey from sketchbook to loom. You begin to appreciate not only Boyd’s imagination but also the painstaking work of the Portuguese weavers who translated his imagery into millions of stitches.

For Canberra visitors, the timing couldn’t be better. As winter settles across the capital, the exhibition offers another reason to spend a day exploring the National Gallery. It’s free, it’s unlike anything else currently showing in Australia, and it shines a light on a lesser-known chapter of one of the country’s most recognised artists.

More than fifty years after they were created, Boyd’s tapestries still feel surprisingly alive — not as historical artefacts, but as works that reward slow looking. And perhaps that’s why this exhibition means so much to those who helped bring it together.

Have a Go at Weaving

Rather than ending with the final tapestry, the exhibition encourages visitors to engage with the art-making process themselves. Interactive looming and weaving activities at the conclusion of the exhibition offer a tactile introduction to the techniques used in textile production, making it a particularly rewarding experience for families, students and anyone curious about how these monumental works were created.

Planning Your Visit to Arthur Boyd: Tapestries

Exhibition: Arthur Boyd: Tapestries
Where: National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Canberra
When: 20 June – 18 October 2026
Cost: Free admission
What you’ll see: All 20 tapestries from Arthur Boyd’s Life of St Francis series displayed together for the first time, alongside original drawings, lithographs and preparatory works.
Interactive activities: Visitors can explore hands-on weaving and looming activities at the end of the exhibition, offering insight into the craftsmanship behind the monumental tapestries.
Suitable for: Art lovers, families, visitors to Canberra and anyone interested in Australian art and textile design.